Labour MP Seema Malhotra accuses Jeremy Corbyn aide over office entry

A former Labour shadow cabinet minister has accused an aide to chief Jeremy Corbyn of entering her parliamentary administrative center with out permission.

Seema Malhotra formally complained to Commons Speaker John Bercow, pronouncing the “privacy, safety and confidentiality” of her MP’s place of job had been violated.

She also stated her workforce had felt “confused, intimidated and insecure”.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said an aide had been checking when the workplace would be vacated, and denied intimidation.

Ms Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury final month in protest at Mr Corbyn’s management and is now backing leadership challenger Owen Smith.

Formal criticism

In a statement, Ms Malhotra stated personnel working for Mr Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell had won “unauthorised entry into my place of business in parliament”.

The MP for Feltham and Heston described a few incidents when people from the leader’s office used digital keys to open the place of business door.

“The implications of this are extraordinarily critical,” she said.

“It Is A breach of parliamentary privilege and is a violation of the privateness, safety and confidentiality of a member of parliament’s place of job.

“Furthermore, my staff, together with an intern, who’ve at all times been courteous and open, have felt pressured, intimidated and insecure and decided themselves you will want to now not leave someone alone in the administrative center.”

She has complained to Mr Bercow and to Mr Corbyn and known as for a formal investigation.

Media captionJeremy Corbyn: “We Will simplest win the following basic election because we’re that motion of individuals all around the united states of america”

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn stated accusations Karie Murphy – the Labour chief’s place of work manager – had intimidated any individual have been “unfaithful”.

He mentioned Ms Murphy had been checking to peer if the place of work had been vacated with the aid of Ms Malhotra following her resignation.

“As an office manager on the chief of the opposition’s floor, Karie has a key to open all offices. She accessed the place of business in question to verify when it might be vacated.

“It’s A month seeing that Seema Malhotra resigned as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, and the place of job is meant for the person keeping that place.”

BBC political correspondent Carol Walker said the incident used to be “every other out of the ordinary twist in Labour’s more and more bitter internal fight”.

The grievance comes after greater than 40 female Labour MPs wrote to Mr Corbyn saying he had failed to do enough to forestall “disgusting” threats in opposition to individuals.

The staff of female MPs – including former shadow ministers Heidi Alexander, Paula Sherriff and Kerry McCarthy – say intimidation has been carried out in Mr Corbyn’s identify.

Media captionOwen Smith says that it has been “Absolutely heartbreaking” to look the levels of abuse inside the celebration

He said: “I Don’t do private abuse, I Do Not reply to non-public abuse, I condemn any abuse from others.”

‘Absolutely unacceptable’

In The Meantime, leadership rival Mr Smith said his spouse, Liz, had been a sufferer of online abuse and claimed there used to be now a level of abuse, anti-Semitism and misogyny in Labour that was once no longer there prior to Mr Corbyn was leader.

“My spouse stood recently for a group councillor position within the village where we live in South Wales and used to be topic to a torrent of online abuse. It’s a group council position.”

He introduced: “I Feel It’s simply Absolutely unacceptable.”

Mr Corbyn is facing a problem from the former shadow work and pensions secretary, after Labour MPs overwhelmingly backed a movement of no-self belief of their chief.

The winner of the leadership contest will be introduced on 24 September.